


Death Walked In

by Southern_Breeze



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Gen, Shinigami, Virus, Zombie AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 01:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5987902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Southern_Breeze/pseuds/Southern_Breeze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally posted on Tumblr for the prompt of Shinigami Zombie AU. Bizarre Dolls are taking over London, causing the reapers to have to work insane hours. Tired and overworked, they accidentally bring the problem back to their realm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Death Walked In

The pale moon shown down from the nighttime sky as it cast a silver glow upon the city. This was the time that most were slumbering, but far too many were awake as they stared frightfully through the cracks of barricaded windows. A virus far more potent than anything they had ever seen stalked the streets, and everyone was just waited for the moment it sank its ragged teeth into them.

Two figures walked through the streets; their footfalls echoing on the cobblestone streets yet the no human ears heard a single sound. Cloaked, the two reapers was as invisible as the wind, although their presence could be felt by some. It would be like an unseasonably cold breeze in the heat of a summer night, although it was rare that anyone gave it a second thought.

Ronald paused for a moment as he ran his hand through his bi-colored hair. “I don’t like this,” he grumbled.

Grell glanced back, but turn fully around to look at the younger reaper. “What’s to like?” she asked in response as she kicked a random piece of trash that was in front of her foot. “These irregularities are taking over, and I’m forced to work my dainty fingers to the bone.”

“How do you think the deserter could make so many of these Bizarre Dolls so quickly?” questioned Ronald.

Before Grell could answer, several of the aforementioned dolls suddenly lunged into view. Their eyes held no reflection, but they reached towards the reapers with blood stained hands and broken teeth.

Grell smiled slightly as her chainsaw roared to life. While she would have preferred to fight something other than mindless corpses, she had least appreciated the chance to put her talents and restless energy to use. With no hesitation, she swept her sharp toothed friend in a wide arc to decapitate the creatures swiftly and efficiently.

Ronald whistled in appreciation at her talent and was even a little amazed. Despite Grell’s impulsiveness and tendency to get distracted, there were really very few reapers who could hold a candle to her when it came to ability. He started to pay her a compliment, when suddenly an arm shot out of the darkness behind him and he felt teeth sink into his shoulder to draw blood.

He yelled out, more in anger than anything else, as he elbowed the creature to knock it loose. He heard it fall backwards, and he swung around as he readied his lawnmower scythe. The bizarre doll had been alone, and it had no real chance with an enraged reaper.

“Are you okay?” Grell asked. 

“Yeah,” Ronald replied, “but look at what that thing did to my new suit.”

“Well, you should have been more careful,” Grell said.

Ronald shook his head as he glanced down at his watch. “It’s the end of our shift,” he announced, “let’s head back to Dispatch. There’s no way I’m going to work overtime.”

Grell shrugged without any real conviction, and she created the portal to take them back to dispatch. “I don’t mind overtime,” she said, “but I do wish we could stop playing with these dolls and go after the puppet master.

((x))

Dispatch was in chaos. Fingers flew over keyboards as retrieval agents stumbled about on tired legs. Since this latest outbreak of Bizarre Dolls, there had been no rest, so workers were forced to work on long shifts as they tried to clean up the mess caused by Undertaker. At this point, there seemed to be no end in sight.

William rubbed the bridge of his nose before adjusting his glasses and turning towards the two reapers standing nearby. “I appreciate your help, and I will be indebted to the German branch,” he said.

Rudgar took a long drag on his cigarette and exhaled slowly so that the smoke ring made something of a halo about his head. “We don’t want this to spread,” he said, his accent thick, “The higher ups would prefer us to end it here.”

Sascha smiled and nodded in agreement. “Besides, how often will I get a chance to get a picture of a real walking corpse?” inquired the smaller reaper.

William shook his head. “Honestly,” he mumbled, but he knew that these two were talented in the field. “I’ll get you up to speed on this case.”

As he finished talking, Grell and Ronald came walking down the hall. Both looked disheveled and tired, although Grell was smiling despite the thick stains of black blood that stood out on her face like poorly applied makeup. Ronald was holding to his arm, and his jacket had been torn. “Sutcliff. Knox,” he greeted, “What is the current situation?”

“Oh, Will, darling,” Grell exclaimed dramatically, “So many of these corpses walking about, and they attack without discretion – even a fair maiden like myself.”

William looked towards Ronald. “If you’re injured, I recommend heading down to the infirmary.”

“I’m okay, Mr. Spears,” Ronald said, “but I think I’ll head down and see Pops. There might be something wrong with my glasses. I’m having trouble seeing.”

“That would be a good idea,” William agreed, and then he turned back to the German reapers. “Come into my office, and I’ll give you the necessary information.”

“What about me, darling?” Grell asked, but William ignored her as he stepped into his office. Rudgar and Sascha followed. The door was shut firmly into race.

“So cold,” Grell commented with a smile, but then she noticed the stickiness of her hair. As beautiful as blood was in the hands of a talented artist like herself, it wasn’t as lovely once it dried.

“Later, my darling ice prince,” she said to the closed doors as she headed down to the showers.

((x))

Lawrence ‘Pops’ Anderson looked carefully at Ronald’s glasses; scrutinizing for any flaw or abnormality. “I can’t see anything wrong with these,” he finally said, before turning to face the younger reaper, “Perhaps your sight has grown worse.” To his surprise, Ronald had laid his head down on the desk, and he appeared to be sound asleep.

Pops walked over to Ronald and frowned at him. This reason issue with the bizarre dolls had been hard on all of him, but Ronald should really sleep someplace more comfortable. He reached out and gently shook Ronald on the shoulder.

He wasn’t prepared when Ronald suddenly jumped in and sunk his teeth into Pop’s throat. It wasn’t a reaper’s eyes that stared into Pop’s startled ones. These were eyes of a creature that had no spark of humanity.

((x))

Rudgar and Sascha were sitting quietly at a borrowed desk when the first shouts bounced down the hall to echo off the high ceiling. They glanced only briefly at each other before jumping from their seats to run towards the noise.

“What is it?” Sascha asked, raising his camera.

“I don’t know,” Rudgar admitted. He readied his scythe and he peered down the hall.

A blonde woman, the shell of a former reaper, fell out of a nearby door and grabbed at Sascha, who jumped out of the way. The camera flashed as it fell to the floor, and the small reaper pulled out a knife from his oversized sleeve. The words, “aim for the head,” flashed through his mind and he slammed the knife home. The woman hit the floor in a crumpled heap.

Rudgar started to congratulate his junior partner, but more zombie reapers suddenly emerged. Gnashing teeth seemed to come from every direction. Rudgar was bitten, but it was only a minor injury, so he kept fighting even though thinking began becoming more difficult.

((x))

William stepped off the elevator, his mind racing. The news had just been handed down from Upper Management. These creatures were no longer bizarre dolls. They were infected and they could pass along this peculiar disease with a single bite. There was even concern this could even be passed along to reapers.

And Ronald had been bitten.

William needed to make sure this disease didn’t spread. He had to find Ronald and quarantine to make sure there was no danger, and this needed to be done quickly. William practically marched down towards the spectacles department since Ronald had said he had planned on visiting. He was halfway there when he realized something peculiar. It was unusually quiet. He hadn’t passed anyone in the hall, nor had even heard the constant sound of typewriters. It was just a suffocating silence that permeated the halls. Trying to focus on his mission at hand, William continued walking without pause, until a familiar shout reached his ears. He had long since learned to recognize Grell’s voice, and he could tell she was angry.

The silence was smashed as he rushed into the department, and it looked as if a war had been fought. Grell stood alone among a mass of fallen bodies. Her hair was lying down her back in wet tendrils, so it was apparent she had only recently showered, but now she was covered in blood.

“Grell,” he said, forgoing the use of her surname in his surprise, “What’s happening here?”

She looked up at him and blinked a few times. “They attacked me,” she finally managed, “They were bloody bizarre dolls, but how?” 

He walked closer to her; careful to avoid the fallen bodies. “Is this all of them?” he asked.

“I think so,” she answered with a nod, but then she smiled. “While I appreciate you coming to my rescue, I was able to defend myself this time.” She fluttered her eyelashes as she moved to push her tangled hair from her face. That was when William noticed the wound on her arm.

“Were you bitten?” he asked, trying to keep all emotion from his voice as he pointed.

She seemed confused by then she laughed. “It’s nothing, darling,” she said, “Just a little bite. It barely broke the skin.”

“I’m not your darling,” he answered automatically, “We need to go back to my office to report this incident.”

“Eager to be alone with me?” she asked, “I’ll lead the way.”

She walked ahead with an exaggerated steps, and William watched her carefully as he followed. So far, she seemed normal, and a part of him hoped that his suspicions were wrong. Just as he was about to convince himself of that, she suddenly stumbled. “Sutcliff?” he asked.

“I’m having trouble, darling,” she answered, “I must be tired. I can’t seem to walk straight.”

William knew that those were the symptoms as it had been included in the report, but he knew there it was no use to tell her now. “You must be tired,” he said, “You can rest soon. Let’s keep going for now.”

She nodded, but he knew he had no choice. When she started again, he made sure to aim his scythe so that her death was quick and painless. At least she hadn’t succumbed to the virus to become a zombie herself.

William was alone. Completely alone. The rest of the report indicated that this change in the bizarre dolls had been the result of an accident. Undertaker had lost control of the bizarre dolls and had become their first victim. Now, they were simply roaming and biting whoever they could. William would have to clean up the mess, but now he would have to do so by himself.

And he would have to be careful. He was all that stood between humanity and the walking dead.


End file.
